April 21–27 is National Volunteer Week. Hospice of the Red River Valley would like to express its deepest thanks to those who so generously give their time, energy and spirit.

But, how can this be done? Reflecting on the selfless acts and attitudes I witness each day at Hospice of the Red River Valley, I become speechless and overcome with gratitude.

Our Hospice volunteers enable us to effectively carry out our mission of providing compassionate end-of-life care. We simply could not provide our depth of services without them. With Hospice of the Red River Valley offices in Fargo, Grand Forks, Mayville, Valley City and Lisbon, N.D., and Thief River Falls and Detroit Lakes, Minn., volunteers serve our entire service area—all 29 counties.

In 2012, more than 400 Hospice volunteers recorded 15,965 hours of time and drove nearly 49,000 miles to share their time and talents with individuals and families facing life’s final journey. What do these generous people do? They visit with patients, read the newspaper, play card games, share coffee and sit at patients’ bedsides. We have volunteer massage therapists, pet therapists and hair stylists who share their expertise to make people more comfortable. Our volunteers deliver supplies and assist staff in our offices. They also work all sorts of jobs at our resale store, Heirlooms.

I have seen volunteers drop what they are doing and change their schedules to be with patients to provide comfort. They drive in blustery weather to visit patients’ homes. Often, they ask to assist during the holidays, because they can’t bear the thought of patients being alone when they can provide a hand to hold.

Our Hospice volunteers are among the most compassionate people I have ever met. We thank our volunteers who stand ready to provide compassionate services to our communities. On behalf of Hospice of the Red River Valley, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Deb Kluck
Manager of Clinical Development – Volunteer Services
Hospice of the Red River Valley